Notre Dame vs Louisville Odds: Fighting Irish Seeking Another Ranked Road Win

Can the Notre Dame Fighting Irish make it back-to-back road wins over ranked teams? They’ll try their luck on Saturday when they visit No. 25 Louisville.

The 10th-ranked Fighting Irish is a 6.5-point favorite (-110) and -240 on the moneyline, while the Cardinals are +6.5 (-110) on the spread and +200 to pull off the upset. The projected total is 53.5 (-110 Over, -110 Under), up from 49.5.

Read on as we break down the Notre Dame vs Louisville odds in our game preview.

Notre Dame vs Louisville Betting Trends

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 5-1-1 against the spread over their last seven games, including 4-1-1 this season. They’re also 8-1 ATS in their last nine road games. The total has gone Over in 10 of their previous 13 games. Meanwhile, the Louisville Cardinals are 2-2-1 ATS this season. The total has gone Under in seven of the Cardinals’ last 10 contests. Keep that in mind when assessing the Notre Dame vs Louisville odds.

Fighting Irish Still (Mostly) Golden

The No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish bolstered their resume in Week 5, defeating 17th-ranked Duke 21-14 on the road to improve to 5-1. The Fighting Irish, a 5.5-point favorite, also moved to 4-1-1 ATS thanks to Audric Estime’s 30-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds remaining. Ultimately, the ensuing two-point conversion, a Rico Flores Jr. catch, helped them cover.

Estime, the nation’s leading rusher (672 yards), finished with 81 yards on 18 carries and two scores. Meanwhile, Sam Hartman was 15 of 30 passing for 222 yards. Hartman, a transfer from Wake Forest, is currently +3000 to win the Heisman Trophy.

Oddsmakers remain a bit skeptical of the Fighting Irish, pricing them +700 to make the College Football Playoff. That said, there’s plenty of room for opportunity over the next month. The Fighting Irish also have games left with No. 9 USC (Oct. 14) and Clemson (Nov. 4). Wins there will really enhance the Fighting Irish’s resume.

But first things first, Notre Dame must take care of business against Louisville. As an FBS independent, the Fighting Irish don’t have much room for error. The Fighting Irish’s NCAAF championship odds have already dropped from +2500 to +4000. Another loss on the NCAA football schedule this week- or anywhere else, for that matter- would eliminate them from contention.

Notably, the Fighting Irish have gotten a big boost from their defense, which has allowed the 11th fewest yards on average (271). Five of their first six opponents have scored 17 points or fewer, except NC State. That’s important to remember when analyzing the Notre Dame vs Louisville odds.

Cards Fighting for Respect

The Louisville Cardinals edged NC State in Week 5 to move into the NCAAF rankings at No. 25. A 5-0, the Cardinals are no fluke. But they can significantly improve their stock with a victory over the Fighting Irish.

California transfer Jack Plummer has 11 touchdown passes in five games, including one against NC State. The Cardinals, a 3-point favorite, ultimately settled for a push.

Louisville is currently one of five ranked schools from the ACC. Its odds of winning the conference are +900, well behind prohibitive favorite Florida State (-160). Despite being undefeated, the Cardinals still aren’t on the odds board for the CFP.

That said, Louisville will have plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks to make a statement. In addition to Notre Dame, the Cardinals also have games remaining against No. 19 Duke (Oct. 28), No. 17 Miami (Nov. 18) and No. 20 Kentucky (Nov. 25). Notably, they’ve yet to beat a ranked team.

Louisville has one of the more productive offenses in the country, ranking 10th in total yards (2,474) and tied for 18th in points (185). Junior Jawhar Jordan has paced the Cardinals on the ground, rushing for a team-high 510 yards (7.7 yards per carry) and six touchdowns. He had three straight 100-yard rushing games before last week.

Handicapping the Game

Jeff Brohm has Louisville on the right path. After winning a bowl game last year under interim head coach Deion Branch, the Cardinals are well on their way to returning to the postseason. They may even be in the mix for an ACC title appearance, but there’s still so much to figure out.

Notre Dame, of course, has bigger plans. Despite their disheartening loss to Ohio State, the Fighting Irish remain firmly in hunt for the CFP. Knocking off Duke was a big step forward.

This is a significant test for the Fighting Irish. But they’re in good hands with Hartman, who should do enough to lift them to another big win on the road. Look for the Fighting Irish to top Louisville, even if they don’t cover.

For NCAAF betting news, odds, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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